Computer mice are hand operated devices for inputting a hand position into a computer. The hand position is often represented on a computer screen as an icon position. Computer mice generally have a relatively narrow width of about 6.35 cm. Thus a user's hand will normally have a domed shape when it is placed over the mouse to grip it. This is illustrated in FIG. 1. A user's thumb 112 will grip one side of the mouse 104 and the user's pinky 114 and perhaps ring finger 116 will grip the other side of the mouse. This constant gripping 106 can lead to stress 102 in the muscles, tendons and ligaments of a user's hand when the mouse is used for prolonged periods of time. Prolonged and repetitive stress can lead to pain, swelling, and possible nerve damage.
FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C are a top view, front view and side view respectively of an attempted solution to the gripping hand problem. The instant FIG. 2A corresponds to FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,504, “Attachable Contoured Computer Mouse Rest” (Ignagni). The instant FIG. 2B corresponds to FIG. 4 of Ignagni and the instant FIG. 2C corresponds to FIG. 2 of Ignagni. Ignagni attempts to address the problem of gripping hand by providing a contoured extension platform 202 for a user to rest his/her hand upon when using a mouse 204. Users of the Ignagni platform, however, must still “grip” the mouse due to the need to stabilize it laterally. This is illustrated in FIG. 2B. When a user places his/her hand 222 on top of the platform, imbalanced forces on the platform extensions 224 can cause the mouse to tip. If the mouse tips to the left 226 then the user must use muscle control to counterbalance the platform to the right 228 and vice versa. This is a form of gripping. The constant need to balance the Ignagni platform can lead to repetitive stress in the muscles ligaments and tendons of the hand and forearm of the user.
The Ignagni platform is also difficult to retrofit on alternative common mouse designs. Referring to FIG. 2C, the contoured extension platform is attached to the top of a computer mouse using adhesive 206. The fixed central curvature of the underside of the platform 212 must match up with the top side curved surface 214 of the mouse. Since different mice designs have different upper surface curvatures, no single Ignagni platform design will be generally applicable to all mouse designs. Each mouse design will have to have its own platform design.
There is need, therefore, for a hand rest for a computer mouse that minimizes gripping of said computer mouse even when a user's hand is in a relatively flat configuration and is adaptable to a wide variety of different mouse upper surface curvatures.